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... American Ascent launches Monday with an eye toward building a bench of young conservatives that could flip some of the dozens of congressional seats that will be held by aging lawmakers in 2028.

The 501(c)(4) will be run by Ryan Neuhaus, the former Heritage Foundation chief of staff. Its partners include an array of new-right allies of Vice President JD Vance, including Turning Point Action, which has already endorsed Vance for president in 2028, as well as the conservative think tank Claremont Institute and the watchdog group Oversight Project.

A PAC that has backed challenges to other GOP incumbents led by Andy Surabian, a longtime aide to both Vance and Donald Trump Jr., will also partner closely with the effort.

The effort was in the works before last week's GOP washout. Still, its leaders say those results show Republicans must double down rather than shrink back from an aggressive populist agenda on issues from immigration to the economy.

"For too long, the Republican Party has relied on rerunning candidates over and over again," Neuhaus said. "The American people told us pretty clearly that they want to see younger, more energetic politicians leading in America, representing them. They want to feel closely connected to them, and American Ascent is going to accomplish that."

When asked if their recruits would primary incumbent Republicans, Neuhaus demurred. "That's up to them," he said, referring to the candidates. "But I'll prepare any young and able and competent American to run for higher office."

Neuhaus is the former Heritage Foundation chief of staff who shouldered the blame for Kevin Roberts' controversial video defending Tucker Carlson last year, after the podcaster hosted a friendly interview with white nationalist Nick Fuentes. ...